Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-31
State AFFAIRS.
The House Adopts a Motion TO Adjourn
Next Monday and Passes the
State Survey Bill.
Measures Signed by the GoEern0r-Wby
the PeeOs Valley Bill FaiIed-The
Libel Law Considered.
The senate Committee in the Judge Willis
Cass Concur IN the Charges Pro
ferre0 by the House.
BONDS FOR BRIDGE PURPOSES.

authorize counties to issue bonds for the
purpose of building and repairing
bridges came up in the house this morn
ING on motion to reconsider the vote by
which the bill was lost. The bill pro-
VIded that the bonds shall neve- be sold
st less than their face value, and tn in
terest shall be paid annually on April 10
of each year. After amending the bill 50
as to allow counties to buy, construct
and repair bridges the bill passed.
THE LIBEL LAW.
The bill amending the libel law came
up in the Senate again this morning on
the minority report of the free conference
committee. The report is in the follow
ing language: ave believe with few
minor amendments said bill should be-
come law. Within the last few years
quite q number of suits have been
brought against the responsible neWspa-
pers of this state, alleging malicious libel
and claiming fabulous damages. Nearly
all of said suits have been brought on
account of news items telegraphed under
mistakes of facts and clearly made with
out malice or intent to injure.
1t is painfully evident in
many instances thai suits have been filed
not so much for the purpose of repairing
l
pocket Other suits have been brought
upon etbelief that compromise would
be offered, and the damage to a character
EXCHANGED for a moderate equivalent in.
cash. "A addition to this much mystery
has been5made to cloud the present law
regarding Iibtls. Such mystery still
exists, and even among excellent lawyers
there is to be found differences upon the
| subject. In our judgment no Otner law
has been so thoroughly misunderstood
! by the press and people,
and from such misunderstanding some of
the latter have filed suits for damages 30
an injured name, imagining mines Of
wealth, and some of the former have
worked themselves into frenzy because
| of imaginary damages. Most of these
suits have ended in victories for the
| journals, but at the same time these re
suits have cost the defendants both time
and money. Doubtless the belief that
! the newspapers would pay a small sum
| for tribute rather than pay large one for
defense has been the cause Of many
bill, If enacted into law,
would, IN a measure, remedy the evil. 1t
makes but slight changes in what we
conceive the law 10 be, built makes plain
that which is uncertain, and coins it TO
the statutes and the decisions of courts
and the rules of the common law. That
the enactment would result in much
good, we do not doubt, and therefore we
recommend that the bill do pass"
The bill was then laid over to give
place to the pending business.
PENALTY PRESCRIBED,
The act to carry into effect section 8 of
article 10 of the constitution, relative to
| the consolidation of the stocks, property,
| works or franchises of any railroad cor
pOratiOn owning or having under control
q competing line, came up in the Senate
this morning on engrOssment. a lively
discussion was INDUCED in over substi
tute 0 an amendment modifying the pun
ishment prescribed for violation OF the
provisions of the act. The penalty clause
in the bill made it felony. The amend
ment made it mIsdemeanor, punishable
by fine in any sum not to exceed $4,000.
The substitute for the amendment
proposes to strike out penitentiary
and insert county Jail, not less than five
mouths nor more than two years. The
opponents to the amendment and the sub
stitute argued that fine would be amply
sufficient to insure the enforcement of the
law, that the imprisonment clause would
be unjust to the employees Of roads who,
IN the capacity of managers andIOtfiCtrs,
could be imprisoned for the acts of their
employers. The friends of the bill were
willing to accept the substitute for the
amendment, but were opposed to abolish
ing le Imprisonment clause for the
reasons that fines would never prove an
effeCtual remedy, and that the law would
HI h.sra fnfr
enactment without means TO carry it into
{ fleet.
An amendment was then adopted
making it a fine of not less than $1,000
nor more than $4,000. The rules were
then suspended and the bill passed.
TO ADJOURN APRIL t.
The House adOpted resolution this
morning to adjourn Monday next, the
same being the 4th day of April. A mo
ton to reconsider was laid on the table,
making the time of adjournment absolute.
TO CORRECT ERRORS IN SURVEYS.
The bill for the purpose of sscerta;ning
the conflicts and errors and making
proper corrections of the surveys of the
! lands made for the common school,
| University or asylum funds or other sur
veys in which the state may be interested,
came up in the House during the evening
session on q motion TO reconsider the
vote, by which the bill was lost. The
| argument on the motion to re-
consider was based on the as
sertion that the lands were
1 surveyed at time when the surveyor WAS
| obliged to keep one eye on the Indians in
that section where these lands were prin-
cipalIy located. Mr.. Browning made a
strong argument against the passage of
the bill for reasons that the bill provides
for the appointment of surveyors by the
| Commissioner of the General Land
Office to DE sent out in the northwest part
OF the state. whose authority will nat
urally conflict with the official surveyors
of the different counties, who, he claimed,
were as competent and as honest as any
surveyors that would be appointed ny the
land commissioners.
Mr.. Prendergsst also opposed the
passage OF the bill, because he believed it